The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), for the first time in its more than 40-year history, finds itself without any representation in the Rajya Sabha after its sole member, K Ravindra Kumar, retired on Wednesday.
This situation may persist until 2026, when three current members retire and new members are elected from the state.
In February this year, YSR Congress party nominees YV Subba Reddy, Golla Babu Rao, and Meda Raghunath Reddy were elected unopposed to the upper house, making the ruling party the fourth largest with 11 members. On Thursday, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath to the new members in the national capital.
Following the 2019 Assembly polls, which shifted the power balance towards the YSRCP in the state and the NDA at the Centre, four TDP members—YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh, and G Mohan Rao—joined the BJP.
K Ravindra Kumar, the lone TDP representative in the Rajya Sabha for the past four years, stated, "I retired yesterday. The term of the new members will start today. This is the first time that the TDP does not have representation in the Rajya Sabha. Democracy is a numbers game."
Established by the charismatic leader Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) in 1982, the TDP quickly gained prominence, captivating the Telugu-speaking populace. Over the years, the party has been a significant player in both state and central politics.